I’m not going to go on here about how amazing it was when I walked into math class on the first day, because honestly, it wasn’t like some angel was standing before me when I saw my math teacher and just knew this was going to be greatest teacher ever. He looked like an average person, an average teacher with a shiny bald head; but I could almost feel the optimism and preparedness leaking off him; he was fully ready to teach and even learn.
The very first assignment he had us do was to fill out a green sheet with our personal goals. What does this have to do with Advanced Algebra? I thought to myself, but I would soon come to realize how important it was that we realized our goals... It gave me something to strive for, boosting my confidence and giving me hope.
As time went on, it was clear everything he did for the students went above and beyond what an average teacher would do. I can’t count how many times he switched up the homework method to fit how each of his classes learned. He continued to make the lessons simpler and easier to follow as the students’ needs became more and more specific. He wouldn’t hesitate to explain step by step each problem a student would ask about, and he would be sure to make it apparent why exactly it was important for the future.
Every single day he would ask if a student needed extra help, and he made sure they got that help whenever it suited them best. If it was 6:00 in the morning, or if it was 4:00 in the evening, it didn’t matter, all that mattered to him was making sure you understood the material.
The greatest aspect about him though, was probably the fact that he always, I mean, always had hope. That not only was obvious through his enthusiasm in the classroom and eagerness to teach, but it was the most blatant through the big yellow sign on the back of his wall that literally read: “Always Hope.” This sign became like a glittering star to me and my classmates. This sign stood for his “Always Hope Rule.” No matter what, if you were continuously getting bad grades, he would pull this rule out; giving you a second chance to redeem yourself no matter how bad your grade was, you could always get an A if you tried. And let me tell ya, that Always Hope really did give us hope.
Now, I suppose at this point you’re most likely wondering who in the world I’ve been babbling about for this entire essay. Well, I guess at this point you have every right to know who this amazing person is. It’s Mr. Dale Destache. My Advanced Algebra teacher who taught me what it means to succeed, how to achieve our goals, that no matter what, there is always hope.